Blending for reading CVCC, CCVC& CCCVC words

It must always be remembered that phonics is the step up to fluent word recognition. Automatic and effortless reading of all words – decodable and tricky – is the ultimate goal. By repeated sounding and blending of words, children get to know them ‘at a glance’. Once this happens, they should be encouraged to read them automatically when they encounter them in text, rather than continuing to blend them aloud (because they feel that this is what is required). They should continue, however, to use overt and ultimately silent blending for those words which are unfamiliar.

Teach blending for reading CVCC words 1. Write or display a CVC word on the whiteboard using magnetic letters which can be extended by one consonant to become a CVCC word (e.g. tent). 2. Cover the final consonant and ‘sound-talk’ and blend the first three graphemes (e.g. t-e-n ten). 3. Ask the children to do the same. 4. Sound-talk the word again, t-e-n and as you say the n, reveal the final consonant and say -t tent. 5. Repeat 4 with the children joining in. 6. Repeat with other words such as bend, mend, hump, bent, damp.

Teach blending for reading CCVC words 1. Write or display a CCVC word on the whiteboard using magnetic letters which can be become a CVC word when the first letter is covered (e.g. spot). 2. Cover the first letter and read the CVC word remaining (e.g. pot). 3. Reveal the whole word and point to the first letter and all say it together (e.g. ssssss) holding the sound as you point to the next consonant and slide them together and continue to sound-talk and blend the rest of the word. 4. Repeat with other words beginning with s (e.g. spin, speck, stop). 5. Move on to words where the initial letter sound cannot be sustained (e.g. trip, track, twin, clap, glad, gran, grip).

Teach blending for reading CCCVC words 1. Write a CCCVC word on the whiteboard or use giant magnetic letters (e.g. split). 2. Point to the first letter and all say it together (e.g. ssssss). Point to the next consonant and slide them together and continue to sound-talk and blend the rest of the word. 3. Repeat with other words beginning with CCC (e.g. scrap, sprint, scrunch).